Battery terminal cable connectors



March 14, 1961 PERAS 2,975,394

BATTERY TERMINAL CABLE CONNECTORS Filed April 2a, 1958 United States Patent BATTERY TERMINAL CABLE CONNECTORS Lucien Pras, Billancourt, France, assignor to Regie Nationale des Usines Renault, Billancourt, France Filed Apr. 28, 1958, Ser. No. 731,284

2 Claims. (Cl. 339239) This invention relates in general to battery terminals and is concerned more particularly with an improved battery terminal connector characterized by a quick, simple and etficient fixation and also by a reliable electrical Contact.

As a rule, storage battery cable connections consist of a split lug terminal connector secured to the cable and clamped by a bolt on the terminal-forming stud emerging from the battery cover. Now this popular arrangement is characterized by a few drawbacks.

Thus, for example, the fixation of the lug or connector on the battery terminal stud is rather long and the device is tightened on the terminal stud by using a special spanner, frequently in hardly accessible places; moreover, during this tightening operation the split lug and the battery terminal are deformed and it is sometimes diflicult to separate them; besides, the bolt and nut, when tightened home, penetrate the lead connector and are either jammed or deteriorated; on the other hand, the battery terminal stud is bare and may therefore become oxidized along the split portion of the connector, and the bolt is also likely to oxidize and finally break up.

Now it is the essential object of this invention to provide a battery terminal connector adapted to be tightened rapidly and efiiciently, without the assistance of any special tool, while preserving the characteristic of great simplicity and providing a proper electrical contact on the entire periphery of the stud.

According to this invention, the annular connector with its cable-securing lug comprises on the one hand a resilient member forming at least one portion of the periphery of the bore provided for fitting the connector on the battery terminal stud, and on the other hand a clamping cam having a spiral-shaped contour, adjacent to the ring bore and co-acting tangentially with the aforesaid resilient member. When this cam is rotated in one direction, the connector is clamped by wedging on the terminal stud of the battery, and when the cam is rotated in the opposite direction the connector is quickly loosened.

In order to afford a clearer understanding of the present invention and of the manner in which the same may be carried out in the practice, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification and illustrating diagrammatically by Way of example two typical forms of embodiment of the invention. In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view showing a section taken along the line II of Fig. 2 and illustrating a first form of embodiment of the connector of this invention;

Figure 2 is a plane view showing a section taken across the connector of Fig. 1, along the line 11-11 thereof;

Figure 3 is a sectional view showing a modified embodiment, the section being taken upon the line III-III of Fig. 4;

Figure 4 is a view showing the connector of Fig. 3 as seen in section taken upon the line IV-IV thereof;

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing on a larger Patented Mar. 14, 1961 scale a detail of the connector shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and

Figure 6 is a section taken upon the middle horizontal plane of another typical embodiment of the connector of this invention.

Referring firstly to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the storage battery terminal connector illustrated therein comprises a ring portion 1 from which a substantially cylindrical lug 2 of conventional design for inserting and welding therein the electric cable or wire (not shown) extends in a lateral direction.

This connector is made of relatively soft metal, preferably lead, and formed with a central bore 3 in which a split socket 4 of resilient metal is force fitted. The inner contour of this split socket is tapered to fit on the tapered stud of the storage battery terminal.

The connector comprises a lateral recess 5 adjacent to the bore 3 and shaped to receive a clamping cam member 6 formed with an integral pin 7 and an operating knob 8. This cam member has a spiral form as shown in Fig. 2, the cam member and operating knob assembly being inserted in position before inserting the resilient socket 4 in the bore, whereby said assembly is retained in the cavity 5 by the shoulders 9, 10 consisting of the lower and upper ends of a groove 11 in which the cam member proper is freely movable. The connector thus constructed may easily be separated into its three component elements, and on the other hand a reinforced fixation may be provided between the resilient socket 4 and the connector, if desired, for example by welding at a location substantially opposite to the point of engagement of the cam member 6 with this socket, as illustrated in Fig. 1 at 12.

This connector is fitted on the battery terminal stud as follows:

Assuming the cam member 6 to be in the position shown in Fig. 2, the operator simply fits the socket 3 on the battery terminal stud and rotates the knob 8 in the clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow 13, so that the swell of the cam member 6 causes the split socket 4 to be clamped in the direction of the arrow 14. This clamping action may easily be effected by hand and is sufiicient for the cam member is wedged between the split socket and the ring portion of the soft-metal connector, so that a reliable electrical contact is obtained all around the peripheral surface of the stud. Of course, the operating knob 8 may also be shaped for engagement by a spanner. The connector is loosened by effecting the reverse action, that is, by rotating the knob 8 anti-clockwise, without the slightest difiiculty.

Thus, in a connector of similar type, a direct contact between the connector and the battery terminal stud may be obtained.

This is the case of the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 to 5 of the drawing. In this modified design the central bore 15 of the connector has the same taper as the lateral surface of the battery terminal stud. The lateral cavity or recess 16 adjacent to this central tapered bore has fitted therein a clamping cam member 6 of same shape, as well as a resilient member comprising at least one blade portion 17 ensuring the continuity of the bore surface between this bore and the cavity 16, the cam co-acting with this blade portion in the same conditions as in the case of the resilient socket of the preceding embodiment.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawing this blade portion 17 constitutes an integral extension of a substantially semi-cylindrical blade 18 adapted to be force-fitted in the adequately shaped recess 16 in which it is retained, the assembly constituting with the aperture 19 formed in the blade 18 for receiving the operative portion or swell of the cam member a kind of resilient hinge insert. in this arrangement the cam member and its operating knob, as well as the resilient element described hereabove, may advantageously consist of a plastic material so as to be proof against the attack of acids and salts that climb by evaporation of their solutions.

From the foregoing it is evident that the connector is tightened on the battery terminal as in the preceding embodiment by rotating the knob 8 in the direction of the arrow 13. During this movement the cam member 6 presses the blade portion 17 against the stud (in the direction of the arrow 20) and consequently the connector is firmly clamped on the terminal stud.

In another modified form of embodiment of a connector constructed according to the same principle to provide a direct contact between the connector and the stud (Fig. 6), the resilient blade portion is an integral portion of the connector proper, for example by being moulded integrally therewith.

This blade portion 21 may be spaced from the cavity or recess receiving the cam member 6 when the latter is fitted in position, the clamping or tightening of this connector on the battery terminal stud being effected in the same manner as in the preceding cases.

Of course, many modifications may be brought to the shape, relative dimensions and materials of the connectors shown and described herein, without departing however from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A terminal connector for securing a cable to a battery post comprising a member having an axial bore to receive a battery post, a cable receiving lug laterally projecting outwardly from the member, said member having an axially extending recess disposed alongside and in radial communication with the bore, a longitudinally split resilient member forming at least one portion of the peripheral wall of the bore and disposed between the bore and the recess and a connector tightening cam member having a spirally-shaped contour and axially disposed in the recess parallel with the bore and coacting tangentially with the resilient member to bind it against the battery post said resilient member being force fitted in the recess and having a side portion interposed between the bore and the recess and formed on the same radius as the bore so as to complete the peripheral continuity of the bore, said side portion having a free edge coacting with the cam member which binds it against the battery post.

2. A terminal connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cam member includes an elongated stem rotatably disposed in the recess and having an outer end provided with an operating knob and said resilient member having an opposite side portion formed with an aperture receiving the cam member for locating the cam member against axial movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,537,066 Callendar et a1. May 112, 1925 1,541,495 Hasting June 9, 1925 1,759,043 Derby May 20, 1930 1,861,451 Park June 7, 1932 1,988,567 Pontus Jan. 22, 1935 2,050,123 Robinson Aug. 4, 1936 2,222,129 Wenger Nov. 19, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 66,765 Denmark May 10, 1948 

